WEBVTT VIOLENT CRIME WAS UP 2%.AND AS OVERDOSES WENT UP SO DIDGUN CRIMES. ACCORDING TO INITIAL POLICE DATAOVERALL CRIME IN MANCHESTER, DROPPED LAST YEAR BUT THEREARE AREAS OF CONCERN.>> I DO FEEL SAFE WALKING AROUNDHERE IN MANCHESTER.I MEAN I'VE LIVED IN CITIES LIKE, NEW YORK AND BOSTON. >> I'VE NEVER BEEN PERSONALLYVICTIMIZED.THE ONLY THING I DO EVERY TIME IPARK, I PUT MY PURSE IN THETRUNK HONESTLY. MIKE: IN TOTAL CRIME WAS DOWN2016, 21% FROM THE YEAR BEFORELARGELY BECAUSE OF PREDICTIVE, ANALYTICS.POLICE PLACED OFFICERS WHEREDATA INDICATED A CRIME MIGHTOCCUR, RESULTING IN A 25%DECREASE IN PROPERTY CRIMES.>> WE TARGET INDIVIDUALS THAT WEBELIEVE ARE IN OUR COMMUNITYCOMMITTING CRIMES.WE SURVEILLANCE, -- SURVEILLETHEM, WE CATCH THEM IN THE ACT,AND WE ARREST THEM. MIKE HOMICIDES, FORCIBLE RAPE,: ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIESDECLINED BUT AGGRAVATED ASSAULTSINCREASED 9%.>> FRANKLY, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.MIKE CHIEF NICK WILLARD SAYS THE: DRUG CRISIS FUELED ALMOST ALLGUN RELATED CRIMES AND MANYAGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.>> WE HAD 49 SHOOTINGS IN THECITY OF MANCHESTER IN 2016.21 OF THEM ARE ATTRIBUTED TOFIVE INDIVIDUALS.THE REST OF THEM ARE ALSOATTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE THAT KNOWONE ANOTHER. MIKE: LAST YEAR MANCHESTER, PARTNERED WITH NEW YORK CITYPOLICE TO ARREST GANG MEMBERSWHO CAME TO THE QUEEN CITY TOSELL DRUGS AND EXCHANGE FORFIREARMS. >> THAT'S AS DISTURBING ASANYTHING ELSE.NEW HAMPSHIRE GUNS WERE BEINGBROUGHT TO NEW YORK CITY.MIKE WILLARD SAYS ANOTHER GANG: FROM BOSTON LED TO A SPIKE INSHOOTINGS OVER THE SUMMER.>> THE APPETITE FOR ILLICITDRUGS IN THE CITY OF MANCHESTERIS INCREASINGLY HIGH. MIKE BY APPLYING WHAT'S BEEN: WORKING AND FOCUSING ON OTHERPARTS OF CRIME WILLARD HOPES, THIS YEAR WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.>> I THINK 2017, THE PROPERTYCRIME NUMBERS ARE GOING TOCONTINUE TO GO DOWN AND IBELIEVE WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DOTHE SAME THING WITH THE VIOLENTCRIME NUMBERS. >> THE POLICE ARE DOING A GREATJOB GIVEN THE RESOURCES THATTHEY HAVE. MIKE THESE CRIME NUMBERS ARE: STILL PRELIMINARY AS THE FBI

Willard said the drug crisis fueled almost all gun-related crimes and many aggravated assaults.

“We had 49 shootings in the city of Manchester in 2016,” he said. “Twenty-one of them are pretty much attributed to five individuals. The rest of them are also attributed to people that know one another.”

Last year, Manchester partnered with New York City police to arrest gang members who came to the Queen City to sell drugs and exchange for firearms.

“That's as disturbing as anything else,” Willard said. “New Hampshire guns were being brought to New York City.”

Willard said another gang from Boston led to a spike in shootings over the summer.

“The appetite for illicit drugs in the city of Manchester is increasingly high,” he said.

By applying what's been working and focusing on other parts of crime, Willard hopes this year will be successful.

“I think 2017, the property crime numbers are going to continue to go down, and I believe we're also going to do the same thing with the violent crime numbers,” he said.

Residents said they’re happy with the work law enforcement is doing to keep the city safe.

“The police are doing a great job given the resources that they have,” Chris Rochon said.

The crime numbers are still preliminary, as the FBI plans to sort through them.